John Ziegler, perhaps Sarah Palin’s most staunch defender, pointed out this excerpt from an interview he did with Palin last month in which he asked her point-blank whether the heat had gotten to be too much. Did she tip her hand? You decide:

“There are some rough days, John, but it’s worth it.”

John says that this shows that the resignation has been planned for weeks. I got the opposite impression from this. Palin sounded defiant, saying that “they can keep taking shots,” but that she would be “in there fighting for Alaska,” as well as “energy independence.” Palin makes the point by comparing her situation to her son’s service in Iraq, and noting that he has it a lot tougher than she does. In fact, John calls her critics “terrorists,” which is over the top, but no one doubts that people tried to intimidate Palin into retreat. In this interview, she all but promises they won’t succeed.

William Amos suggested that we should put up a poll, so here goes. I’ve included some leaner positions to capture more of the nuances of opinion. Have at it!